Please The Palate |

Touring Ascendant Spirits Distillery

You may think wine when you think Santa Ynez Valley, but you can also think vodka and whiskey because Ascendant Spirits Distillery, the first legal distillery in Santa Barbara County since Prohibition, is located in Buellton, the heart of wine country.

We stopped by Ascendant Spirits on a recent trip up to wine country. After all, a few tastes of vodka and whiskey are a great start to a weekend filled with wine. Owner and Distiller Stephen Gertman was on hand to give us a tour in between the fermentation taking place that day. We got a first hand tour of the process to make Sempre Fi Corn Whiskey.

23 October, 2014

4 Things To Never Ask A Wine Professional

Understanding wine is a challenge. No matter how little or how much you know, it is a never-ending process of learning and a very humbling experience. But no matter how much or how little you know, here are a few tips for when you're out wine tasting. Whether in a winery tasting room or at a wine event, here are a few things wine professionals don't love to be asked. What's your favorite wine?

This is like asking a parent who is their favorite child? Or it's like asking what is your favorite food? Is there one thing you like to eat ALL the time? Probably not. There is a time and place for everything. And, this applies to wine as well. It all depends on the season, the weather, your mood, the food, the time of day.....SO many different variables go into choosing a wine for the moment.

22 October, 2014

The Warwick LA Goes Film Noir

One year ago, the Warwick Hollywood opened on Sunset Boulevard. A club offering craft cocktails, when it first opened the decor included floor to ceiling photographs of naked women and dark leather couches with an all-white upstairs room. Then, in June, the Warwick opened the doors with beach resort interior including new furniture and beach umbrellas. And now the Warwick has changed their look again. This time it's Film Noir. Everything has changed......from the couches to the rugs to the chandeliers.

20 October, 2014